Brewery Vivant stands out from the pack with French and Belgian beers

Brewery Vivant is in the chapel of what used to be the Metcalf Funeral Home, the largest funeral home in Grand Rapids from 1894 to 1980.

Paul Bomers

"The original wood beams and light fixtures were able to be restored and provide a great ambiance. All the renovations followed strict historic preservation standards, and every effort was made to bring the building back to its original look," said Jason Spaulding, president and co-owner of Brewery Vivant.

Paul Bomers

Brewery Vivant's restaurant, which seats 250 when the patio is open in nice weather, has a high vaulted ceiling and big exposed beams.

Brewery Vivant

Brewery Vivant co-owners Jason and Kris Spaulding have two children — son Oliver, who was born just nine days after they opened their doors in December 2010, and daughter Siena.

Paul Bomers

Brewery Vivant currently brews about 5,000 barrels of beer a year, and distributes it in cans and kegs throughout Michigan and in Chicago.

Paul Bomers

The brewery is in the attached building, where patrons who are eating and drinking can watch what's going on. It was built in 1915 as an automobile garage but later turned into a stable for the Metcalfs' 17 large white horses.

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Before starting their business, Jason and Kris Spaulding asked themselves a question: Does the world really need another craft brewery?

Their answer was yes, thanks to a trip to Europe in 2008. The result is Brewery Vivant, a popular brewpub in the East Hills section of Grand Rapids, between downtown and the city of East Grand Rapids.

The Spauldings decided on several ways to make their craft brewery stand out.

Having become big fans of Belgian and French beers while on that trip, that's what they specialize in.

"We set out to find small village-specific farmhouse breweries and visited northern France and southern Belgium and found some great local beers. These breweries were the pride of the towns they were in and had small local distribution of their beer. It was the beer the whole town drank," said Jason.

"The focus of our beer is on what is called farmhouse ales. The beer style transcends borders as the brewing culture in that area is long influenced by other greater elements like agriculture, climate (and) naturally occurring yeasts," he said. "People do not think of the French as having a beer culture as most people only know their wine, but they have a long tradition of making beer as well. The French are known for a style called biere de garde and the Belgians for saison, both of which we specialize in."

Brewery Vivant uses yeast that originated in Belgium to give the beer its flavor and character.

With American-style beers, "flavor from the beer yeast is secondary to hops and malt. For Belgian style beers that yeast character is part of the desired outcome. It adds spicy and aromatic qualities to the beer," Spaulding said.

Elizabeth Lienau

"People do not think of the French as having a beer culture as most people only know their wine, but they have a long tradition of making beer as well. The French are known for a style called biere de garde and the Belgians for saison, both of which we specialize in," said Jason Spaulding, president and co-owner.

The other thing Brewery Vivant focuses on is social good. In 2012, it became the first LEED (leadership in energy and environmental design) Silver certified microbrewery in the U.S., a designation granted by the U.S. Green Building Council to businesses that take steps to use less water and energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

And in 2014, the brewery was designated as the first Certified B Corp. in Michigan, a designation granted by B Lab, a nonprofit based in Berwyn, Pa., whose Web site declares as a mission statement: "We envision a global economy that uses business as a force for good."

About 2,200 companies in more than 50 countries, including Ben & Jerry's and Patagonia, have been designated as B Corps.

The "B" stands for benefits. One requirement of certification is providing healthcare to employees, and Jason said all 41 of his full-time employees, out of a total of 64, have healthcare.

Patrons likely don't care as much about LEED and B Corps designations as they do good beer and good food in a great setting.

The Spauldings source as much of their food locally as possible, generally about 50 percent, with everything made from scratch. Appetizers range from seared trumpet mushrooms to duck confit nachos to roasted bone marrow. Main courses run from burgers to smoked trout and grilled lamb T-bone.

The setting, on Cherry Street, is spectacular. The restaurant, which seats 250 when the patio is open in nice weather, is in the chapel of what used to be the Metcalf Funeral Home, the largest funeral home in Grand Rapids from 1894 to 1980. It has a high vaulted ceiling and big exposed beams.

"The original wood beams and light fixtures were able to be restored and provide a great ambiance. All the renovations followed strict historic preservation standards, and every effort was made to bring the building back to its original look," said Jason.

The brewery is in the attached building, where patrons who are eating and drinking can watch what's going on. It was built in 1915 as an automobile garage but later turned into a stable for the Metcalfs' 17 large white horses.

The Spauldings bought the two buildings in 2010 after they had sat empty for five years. From 1980-2005, they served as the daycare center for Spectrum Health.

"When we moved in, there were lots of tiny sized toilets everywhere, monkeys painted on the walls, '80s fluorescent lighting and a creepy abandoned kids playground out front of the building," said Jason. "It was really a sad sight to see this fenced off play equipment sitting on AstroTurf with weeds growing all around and through the equipment."

The historic renovation wasn't cheap. When the Spauldings got back from Europe in 2008 and made the decision to open a brewpub, the Great Recession was in full swing.

Jason co-founded the New Holland Brewing Co. in Holland, Mich., in 1996 when he was 23. Financing was easy to come by then, but despite that brewery's success, it wasn't easy to get in 2009.

Eventually, the Spauldings got six silent partners to invest. Between the investors' money and theirs, the Spauldings raised $750,000 in cash, which allowed them to get Small Business Administration financing for some of the rest of the $3 million project.

"We had zero luck with banks, as they were just not doing anything at that time regardless of our experience and cash position," said Jason. "We had to get really creative to make it work. There was a lot of sleepless nights, as Kris and I had already put everything we owned into the project to get things started. Any hiccups in the process and we would be out on the street. That is pretty motivating, especially when your wife is pregnant. Our son Oliver was born nine days after we opened our doors in December 2010."

Brewery Vivant currently brews about 5,000 barrels a year, with distribution throughout Michigan and in Chicago. The Spauldings don't envision that growing much. "We're not really trying to be big. We might get to 8,000 barrels," said Jason. "We like being right-sized."